3 ways to keep your team happy and motivated

Keeping your team happy and motivated is a win-win scenario: they’re engaged and excited to come to work, and your company benefits from higher productivity and employee retention.

But employee satisfaction isn’t just about team happy hours and axe-throwing excursions (although both are fun activities that we’ve enjoyed at the SF office). It’s about cultivating a healthy workplace environment that rewards employees for contributing their best. Here are three ways to do just that!

1. Show appreciation and celebrate success

It’s important to cultivate a culture of appreciation to make your team feel that the work they do matters. Positive reinforcement is the best way to motivate employees, according to a study published in the Harvard Business Review. Employees are more inclined to keep working hard if they get positive feedback in response to their achievements.

At Canto, we have a TV that plays a fun song or video when our team members hit their goals. We also have a Slack channel called #cheersforpeers, where we post notes of appreciation for our colleagues. These are fun ways that we can celebrate each other’s successes every day.

2. Invest in employee wellbeing

Employers are increasingly realizing the benefits of investing in their employees’ health and wellbeing both in and outside of the office. According to the Harvard Business Review, too much stress results in lower performance, and according to the McKinsey Quarterly, lack of job control—the amount of discretion employees have to determine what they do and how they do it – creates a stressful environment that translates into health problems.

Another issue that can contribute to stress is lack of work life balance. A recent study commissioned by Canto revealed that 46% of marketers surveyed have worked late, 28% cut into their lunch break and 25% don’t have time to take a coffee break because they have lost too much time hunting for files needed to do their work.

To combat this, promote a work environment where employees feel ownership over their work and have the support they need to take care of their health. Many employers also invest in employee health programs as part of their benefit package, such as fitness stipends and counseling, and more companies are offering remote or flexible work opportunities to help employees balance their personal lives and careers.

3. Provide opportunities to learn and grow

The best employees are driven to grow professionally. A workplace that helps employees develop their careers attracts motivated individuals and encourages employee retention, while preventing the feeling of stagnation that leads to decreased motivation.

Make sure employees feel empowered about their career progression and skills development at your company by having managers discuss long-term career goals and providing opportunities for training and development, such as sending employees to workshops and conferences.

Check out our ebook, The people cost of content, to learn more about promoting employee wellbeing!